“Distance education in ghana and the place of counselling: issues, initiatives, implications for the counsellor”

Abstract

The quest for knowledge especially at the tertiary level in the world today has led to an increase in the numbers that apply to the various institutions of higher learning. This quest, not matched by corresponding infrastructural development in these institutions of higher learning, and empolyers' lukewarm attitude in releasing employees for full time study programmes even though they prefer working with employees who have upgraded their knowledge, have made the need for distance education as very important as relevant. Distance education has evolved over the years, and has been run on different models and themes. Distance education involves learning apart (physically separated) from a teacher by means of communications through print, mechanical, or electronic devices. It indicates a distance between learner and teacher which is not merely geographic but educational and psychological as well. Various initiatives in distance education have been undertaken in Europe, Africa and specifically in Ghana. Designing appropriate counselling programmes will help distance education students to bring out better results by proper utilization of their potentialities and realize the aim of education.

IFE PsychologIA Vol. 15 (2) 2007: pp. 53-70